Unexpected Arrivals
by Anthony R Brown
Summary: Six years after the final defeat of the Curse, Emma Swan unexpectedly finds four children who are not from Fairy Tale Land in Storybrooke one night. The mystery of how and why they had come to Storybrooke involves many characters from Fairy Tale Land, and results in a disturbing revelation. Many details of Storybrooke to the mundane world are explored.


She liked to patrol the town at night. When Bae was out of town that is. There was something simple and pleasant about slowly cruising about Storybrooke in the stillness that relaxed her. It felt like _home_, and wasn't that a weird idea. A dozen years before she had rolled into the village late one night bringing the little bratty kid back to his mother… or so she had thought. _A lifetime ago_. Emma was not given much to reflection. Yet on nights like this one she would recall the roller coaster ride that she began that night when Henry found her. Sometimes the thoughts and images would speed past her like they did when she picked up the book in the hospital with her son dying. Other times the remembrance of a single event would last the entire evening. Tonight seemed to be of the remembering the remembering kind.

So Emma just thought of how blessed she was. Parents, marvelous parents, after believing for so long that her parents had been teenagers too frightened of parenthood even to ensure their baby was taken to a hospital. Mythical parents actually, whose code of honor, service and sacrifice was a wonder. That sense of duty had cost Emma certainly, but it had saved an entire world. Emma always reminded herself that they bore the cost as much as she. In the early days after everyone remembered, Emma had felt (and shown) anger at what she had endured. Not really at Snow White and James, but they were the closest at hand and the anger had settled on them. Their response was a lesson in parenting that Emma vowed never to forget. They had returned her anger with tenderness. When Emma later learned the whole story, she apologized to them, but Snow White simply said, "Emma, you were entitled to your anger. There is nothing for you to regret."

Her children, Henry and Ruth. If someone ever told Henry's story like a fairy tale, he would be the young hero, a prince disguised, on a fabulous quest, to find his long lost mother and break an evil Curse. And he would succeed in spectacular fashion – as he had. Henry seemed to have inherited the best qualities of his parents and grandparents. He was sensitive like Baelfire, stubborn like Emma, empathetic like Snow White, brave like James, and a schemer like Gold, although in contrast Henry's schemes were always to the good. Henry was a friend to everyone in Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land, even forging a strong bond with Regina and the twins. Ruth … simply a joy. What an experience motherhood was! And she was sharing that particular first-time experience with her own mother, since Leo was only six months older than Ruth.

Emma's musings were interrupted as she saw movement in the shadows behind the elementary school. Emma stopped the patrol car and got out. She slowly walked past the school on the basketball courts toward the spot where she had seen something. She sensed no danger so only had the flashlight in her hand. As she neared the rear of school building, Emma's danger sense flared suddenly. He came at her fast, but she easily sidestepped his intended blow, and tripped him. He lost his makeshift club, a length of two by two, when he fell. He started to get up, but Emma didn't want to use physical force so she placed a light stunning spell on him, cuffed his hands behind his back, and released the spell. She noted that he seemed to be able to offer some resistance to the spell. She helped him stand up, but placed him up against the side of the building. She quickly searched him and removed a small knife.

"Don't move," she commanded. She went around the corner and saw them. Two girls and a boy, all less than six she was sure. They were cowering.

Emma tried to project calm. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. Come out." Slowly they did holding each other's hands. Their looks of terror intensified when they saw their brother(?) with cuffed hands. Emma quickly removed the cuffs, saying to him, "Don't try anything please. You don't want to upset them." They all relaxed a little but were still frightened. Emma wished that Bae were here. He could always calm them down so easily.

Emma shepherded the lot of them to the patrol car and loaded them in. She put the little ones in the back and had the older boy next to her. His initial aggression was gone. Emma drove to the Child Services Center which was located in the Storybrooke Municipal Annex located right next to the old mine. It was one of the new buildings hard by the mine, buildings that included the Storybrooke Mining Museum and the brand new Visitor Center. In just a few years Storybrooke, Maine had become famous both for its (seemingly endless) supply of antiques and for its old "iron" mine, a rarity on the East Coast of North America. The official tour was the highlight of any visit to "Olde Storybrooke," and word had spread about the amusing and entertaining docents headed by an irascible curmudgeon with an extremely dry sense of humor. Every visitor wanted a "Leroy" tour, but those who had another tour leader were never disappointed. When Mr. Clark headed a tour group, he always gave a box of tissues to a little girl in the group explaining that he sneezed a lot because he was allergic to just about everything in the mine. The people taking a tour headed by Walter were instructed that he might doze off in the elevator and not to hesitate to wake him.

The highlight of any tour of the mine was the "diamond room." There was the persistent legend about the mine that its output was diamonds not iron. The fact that no gemstones had ever been produced in Storybrooke was superseded by the further legend that the diamonds mined were actually ground up to produce a dust with supernatural power. The legends were not clear what the dust was actually used for, but it made an amusing story. So the mine had a cavern setup as if diamonds were wrestled from the earth and ground into dust. The docents spent a significant portion of the tour in the "diamond room," entertaining the theories put forward by the children in the group as to what was the ultimate use of the diamond "pixie dust."

After the tour the visitors repaired to the gift shop. Among the myriad souvenirs available for purchase were those associated with the "diamond mine" legend. In fact, this was further abetted by the even stranger legend that had grown up about Storybrooke, itself. It was said that the town was actually a fairy tale village, transported to the real world as a plot to wreck vengeance on "good" characters by an evil queen. The gift shop offered a few books in line with this legend. Emma had been told by one publisher that "the more unlikely the story told, the more popular it becomes." They sold a lot of copies of the "unlikely" books. One volume, an expensive one, was an oversized lavishly illustrated book filled with every story imaginable, all differing from the "standard" fairy tales. It was titled "Once Upon a Time" and Emma knew where the original was – in Henry's room at Snow White's castle in Fairy Tale Land. It would someday form the nucleus of the artifact collection of the Fairy Tale Land Museum that would reside in Storybrooke. But that was years (probably) in the future, when the mundane world learned the reality of Fairy Tale Land and the other Story Book lands. Much science had to be discovered (or uncovered if that was one's philosophical bent) before then. Emma, and the majority of the FTL people were determined that the existence of these lands would be a closely held secret until such time that "magic" was understood on a clear scientific basis.

The original argument had been about whether even to allow the rest of the mundane world to learn about Storybrooke at all. One group (whom Emma thought of as the Old Reactionaries) had wanted everyone in Storybrooke forced to return to Fairy Tale Land to resume their old lives and the portal to Storybrooke destroyed. The leader of this group was the "District Attorney" Spencer – the former "King George," the "father" of Emma's father. It consisted of the old "aristocracy" of FTL mostly, particularly that portion of it who had sided with Regina and King George when Snow White and Charming had overthrown them. Not surprisingly this position was opposed by everyone who had lead a "simple" life in FTL because "simple" meant struggling to get by each day in squalid conditions, lacking the basic necessities that all had in Storybrooke, and subject to the whims of that same aristocracy. It never had any chance of "carrying the day."

The second most conservative position was to leave Storybrooke as it had been, a quiet, out of the way New England hamlet, with minimal contact with the outside world. Those who wanted to return to FTL could certainly, and those who wanted to move on into the mundane world could also, although it would be discouraged unless those who wanted to leave had a concrete plan, such as Katheryn's desire to attend law school in Boston. Maintain the status quo, as it were. The advocates of this position pointed out that Storybrooke had been just this overlooked village for 28 years with the mundane world not paying it any attention.

The counter argument to this position was easy to make, and it was the basis for the position that prevailed. The Curse had been responsible for Storybooke's anonymity in the mundane world. Emma's arrival in Storybrooke had ultimately meant that knowledge of Storybrooke would expand in the rest of the world, slowly perhaps but inevitably. The status quo could not be maintained. And since only a small fraction was willing to "retreat" into Fairy Tale Land, a strategy for involving Storybrooke in the rest of the world was necessary.

And a very neat, in Emma's opinion, plan had resulted. Storybrooke would become a "tourist attraction." Quaint accommodations like Granny's Bed and Breakfast would be built to house the visitors. Guided tours of the important "landmarks" of Storybrooke were provided. And most ingenious of all, the "legends of Storybrooke" were begun. The "legends" were, in fact, the absolute truth about Storybrooke and Fairy Tale Land. It was actually Baelfire who had conceived of the idea. "When I would read the fairy tales or see the movies based on them, I knew that they had to have been based in fact from some other world, but I saw that people just adored the stories, even the bad ones. People in this world have so little fantasy in their lives that they can escape into the fairy tales. Why don't we provide this world with a new set of fairy tales, more elaborate than the ones they know already, but similar enough to recognize. I think even adults will find the stories absorbing, because they will have a verisimilitude missing from the traditional treatments. When we reveal the truth some day, its acceptance will be made easier since people will already "know" it."

Emma had always thought that Bae's idea was genius, but she had not missed the chance to tease him about it. "The only reason they went along with you was that you impressed them with your vocabulary." That resulted in a massive tickling attack which rendered Emma helpless, but she hadn't minded since they were in bed at the time.

Emma's smile faded as she turned into the parking lot at the Children's Center. She saw Katheryn's car already there. As she settled the car into the lot, Katheryn and Mother Superior came out to greet her and the children.

"Hi Emma," said Katheryn, "So here they are."

"Hello Katheryn, Blue," Emma nodded to them. Everyone called Mother Superior, 'Blue.' Nobody had ever used her Storybrooke name in the Curse-time, and the nickname she acquired when the Curse was broken had stuck.

Blue said, "Have they told you anything?"

"Not a peep." Emma had not asked them anything either.

"Lets get them inside," Katheryn said. She picked up the youngest, a boy, who had fallen asleep on the drive over. The night was becoming a bit cool.

Emma was pleased to see, once inside, that the two women had already started some refreshments for the children. There was hot chocolate and some muffins. Their guests attacked the food. Emma, herself, poured a cup of hot chocolate and placed a cinnamon stick in it. It was the custom in Storybrooke for cinnamon sticks to be offered whenever hot chocolate was served, in deference, Emma knew, to the town's most prominent family. She considered it an honor.

While the children ate, the women conferred.

"You found them just lurking by the school?" asked Blue.

" They had a make-shift shelter with some boxes. I think they have some experience with 'street living' " Emma replied. She, herself, had had that experience.

"How did they get here?" asked Katheryn.

"On a tour bus, probably. But how they could not be missed when the bus left, I can't understand. I'll get a list of yesterday's drivers and ask about it the next time each returns."

Then Katheryn asked the question that Emma and she was sure Blue had in her mind.

"Why did they come to Storybrooke? They aren't Fairy Tale Land exiles, are they?"

"No, but I'm pretty sure they are from a Story Book land."

Blue said, "Why?"

Emma, "Just a feeling."

Katheryn, "Emma, your feeling is good enough for me. How will we find out which one?"

"I think I'll get Henry to come and talk to them. He's been thinking about this kind of thing for most of his life." Both the others nodded at this. Henry's fixation on (what seemed to be) the alternate realities of fairy tales and other stories, was well known by the time he brought Emma to Storybrooke. He was in therapy for it, Regina had indicated to Emma. Of course, Emma soon found out that Henry had been in therapy even before Mary Margaret had given him the Once Upon a Time book. But in any event Henry clung stubbornly to his belief that the stories were real even in the face of Emma's declaration that they couldn't be true. Emma reflected, not for the first time, that it really was Henry's stubbornness and not anything she had done, that broke the Curse. His absolute courage in taking the bite of the apple turnover still had the power to astonish Emma. Henry had told Emma of his visit to August just before he came to her, and that he knew with complete certainty and not just belief that it was all true. He knew the turnover was cursed just like the apple Snow White had bitten was cursed. " I knew you would save me," he told her later, and Emma had burst into tears. Until that moment Emma had never found anyone or anything that meant more to her than her own self. But she had found that she cared more for Henry than she had ever could have imagined. It was this absolute love for Henry that had made all the rest possible. Especially True Love's Kiss.

"Emma, all you alright?" asked Katheryn.

Emma pulled herself back. This seemed to be the night for reflection, she concluded. "Yeah, just woolgathering. Let's get them settled down for the night. I'll see if Henry can come tomorrow."

The next morning Emma called over to the law firm of Nolan and Associates from her office. Katheryn came right onto the line.

"Henry will be here after six o'clock," she told Katheryn.

"Good. That will give the staff the whole day to orient the children. But we gave instructions not to question them," Katheryn replied.

Emma knew those instructions would be obeyed. The Children's Services agency like Katheryn's law firm employed Fairy Tale Land people exclusively. While there were by now a sizable number of 'normal' people living and working in Storybrooke, certain operations would use only FTL people, because they were just too sensitive. Interestingly enough Emma's own shop was not such a place. She had two deputies who were not FTL people. Keeping the peace didn't require keeping secrets. But the staff in Children's Services had to deal with the natural inquisitiveness of the children. The children were never lied to, but revealing the truth about their homeland required careful handling. Not until their teenage years would they be told the complete truth. Emma, herself, taught the final lesson, showing them some simple magic, and, then, taking them to Fairy Tale Land through the portal. They would visit Snow White's castle. Then Emma delivered her "special warning" speech. "The people outside of Storybrooke are not ready to learn about us. Just knowing that we and our stories are real will make them very frightened. We can't predict what they would do, and there are so many of them, but it will not be good. Some day we will let them know of us, but no one knows when that day will come. Until that time we all have to keep this big secret. It's very important." And, Emma, would do what she hated more than anything. She would use magic to frighten the children. She would change her costume magically to one of Regina's old ones – they were just about the same size in dresses. Then looking every inch the "Evil Queen," Emma would say, "I will know if any of you tells the secret to an outsider, and I will not be happy!" Then the children would be led away, their last image a sinister and threatening Emma.

Delivering this lesson upset Emma, and Snow White would always be in the next room so she could immediately help her daughter regain her composure. "Momma, I don't want to do that again." "I know it upsets you, Emma, but if you don't make them at least a little afraid, some of them will tell parts of the secret. They are still just children." "I hate it when people are afraid of me." "Of course you do. But you are the only one who can do it." "I'm the witch." "You are a good witch, Emma, nothing bad will ever come of your power." "How can you be so sure." "Because I know you, dear heart."

Later in the evening Henry arrived. Emma had been tense all afternoon waiting for him. Having these strange children in Storybooke was making her very nervous for some reason, and she wanted to find out as much as she could about them.

Henry said, "You're sure they are not Fairy Tale Land people."

"Yes, I'm sure. But they "feel" very different from "normal" children."

"What do you think I should do?" Henry asked perfunctorily. He already knew her answer.

"Tell them the stories." Emma wanted Henry to tell the children about the real Storybrooke. When Henry told that "tale," he always captured his audience's rapt attention. He sounded like he was an ancient bard, recounting an old legend from the world's folklore. He would paint pictures in their minds of heroic princes and resourceful princesses striving to defeat evil queens and wizards, of palace intrigue, and, ultimately good triumphing over evil. Then Henry would deliver the "punch line" - these stories were all true. His first audience had consisted of Emma, herself, those many years before. Emma thought that when Henry read to the newcomers, their reaction to one of the stories might indicate which Story Book land they originated from. Their general reaction, itself, might confirm that they were Story Book people.

Henry was done two hours later. He looked tired when he came into the conference room. Katheryn and Blue were there with Emma.

"They really think you're cool," Henry said to Emma. " 'Did she really kill a dragon?' "

"Great," said Emma sarcastically. "No matter what I do with the rest of my life, that will go down as my 'crowning achievement'. Father did the same thing."

"If you want to find someone as heroic and gallant as your father, Emma, you will need to look far and wide," said Katheryn, who Emma reminded herself had reason to know. " Or perhaps just in the mirror," Katheryn continued.

Henry went on, "What's important is that all of them believed that the stories were real right from the beginning. No persuasion was necessary. I'm sure they are Story Book people."

Blue asked, "Could you tell which one?"

"I think from the Grimm's land."

This elicited a shocked reaction from Blue. Emma knew generally that the stories from Grimm's land indicated a place that was worse than her own Fairy Tale Land. Evil seemed triumphant much more often, and even the heroes were much darker, good was often missing in the stories, with the choices provided protagonists being of the 'bad or worse' variety. Still Blue's reaction was quite strong.

Katheryn, "What is it, Blue?"

"Grimm's land is a dangerous place. It's where the Dark One's magic originated." She turned to look directly at Emma. "Please tell me you will not consider going there."

"You don't waste time getting to the crux of the matter do you, Blue?"

"Because I know you, Emma Swan. You are probably already planning on bringing them back there."

"That would depend on a lot of unknowns," said Emma. "Who knows if there is anyone for them to go back to. And I will not travel to any Story Book land without a lot of intelligence about what I might encounter. We have next to nothing on Grimm's land. I suspect it would be very dangerous." Emma and the others knew how calamitous her killing by a Story Book land witch or wizard would be. Already, based on what they knew, several of the lands were 'off limits'. Grimm's land was technically in the same category, just because they knew little about it. Or so they had thought before Blue's statement.

"Blue, why haven't you told us this, before," Emma said with a little bite in her voice. Her conversations with Blue often contained a bit of confrontation. This evidence of withholding information was just the latest incident that contributed to a certain level of distrust that Emma had with the old fairy.

"It wasn't relevant information."

"Still up to your secret ways. You will never change." Emma had no interest in continuing this argument. She wasn't ready to pursue any investigation of the fairies at this time. That was for later, but she would get there. Emma turned back her attention to Henry.

"Was there any particular story that they seemed interested in?"

"The Golden Bird," Henry replied.

"That's interesting." said Katheryn. "Did they tell you their names?"

"Yes. The oldest is Brian, the girls Margaret and Martha, and the little one is William, but they all call him Billy. Brian is Margaret's brother, and the others' cousin." Henry replied.

"What else would they tell you?" asked his mother.

"That was really all. Brian seemed afraid despite everything I did to make them feel safe."

Emma said, "I want to talk to them, but I just don't do well when they are so scared. I wish Bae was here. But he won't be back for at least three days."

Henry, "You could ask Dad to come back earlier."

"I can't just drag him all over for every little thing."

"Why don't you ask August to talk to them," put in Blue. "His experience would have been the closest anyone else would have to their's."

This irritated Emma, but she suppressed the feeling and considered the proposal rationally. It was actually a good one. "Alright."

When Emma arrived at the house that Marco and August shared, she hesitated for a moment before knocking. _Be pleasant_. Her encounters with Marco were always strained. Not for the first time Emma wished she could actually forgive people. Most people in Storybrooke and FTL thought that Emma had forgiven everyone who had contributed to her abandonment as an infant, but in reality she never really forgave anyone. Her attitude remained the one which she held when Gold and she had the colloquy about Eva and Nicholas. "What's your price?" "How about forgiveness?" "Let's try tolerance." Emma tolerated people, but she felt the bitterness still just below the surface. Ordinarily Emma might have seen Archie for some 'therapy' involving this. (Ironically, a byproduct of the Curse was that people given advanced knowledge like Dr. Whale or 'Dr. A. Hopper' retained it.) Archie was a competent practitioner, but since he was one of those who had been 'at fault' in the matter, seeing him wouldn't work. So the only person she had ever opened up to about her inability to forgive was Snow White. Her mother maintained that Emma really had forgiven those responsible for her abandonment. "Your behavior is what matters, Emma. You can feel however you wish, so long as you do not let the anger and bitterness guide your actions." Emma suspected that she, herself, was not the only person who did not forgive on the inside. _Like mother, like daughter._

August came to the door, thus sparing Emma the need to talk to Marco. Instead of accepting August's offer to enter, Emma asked him to talk to her on his porch. Once she had outlined the situation with the exiled children, August said. "You want me to talk to them because I can tell them I was exiled from Fairy Tale Land, just like they were from somewhere?"

"Really just to the oldest, Brian. The others are in his charge. We need to find out where they are from and how they came to us. Especially how Brian knew to come to Storybrooke."

When August hesitated, Emma said, "I know you don't want to talk about what happened to you. But I need to find these things out. If Bae was here, I would have him do it. He won't be back for another three days, and I don't think it is prudent to wait so long."

August said in a soft voice, "You know how ashamed I am of what I did."

"August, we have talked about this many times. A seven year old boy couldn't have handled the responsibility, and you weren't even a normal seven year old. You'd only been alive for three years, right?" When he nodded she went on, "You got me to safety, and that is something. If you hadn't been there I would have died in the tree. You got us both to where we could be cared for."

"But I left you alone with that awful family. And I never came back for you. Snow White should have been with you, not me."

Emma said in a measured tone, "August, I now know that Marco's fears were right. You would not have survived the Curse. Had you not gone into the wardrobe, you would now be a puppet in Gold's shop ... a dead puppet. Both Gold and Regina agree with me. I have never told you this because I could see no point in it. Until now." Emma paused for a bit, then continued. "The real culprit is me. If I hadn't decided to be born that day, mother would have come through with you, and she would have raised us both."

This actually made him laugh a little. "I'm not going to blame you for my cupidity." But the tension was gone. "Do you want to go right now?"

When they entered the Children's Center, Katheryn greeted them and said, "Our new charges are

in the Green Lounge. Before going in August poured himself a cup of hot chocolate, and put a stick of cinnamon in it. "For good luck," he said and winked at Emma.

Emma went to the Museum to wait. After a little while a guided tour returned from the mine. Leroy was the docent. When he saw Emma, he whispered to a little girl. The girl walked slowly and bashfully to Emma. Emma gave her an encouraging smile or at least what she hoped was an encouraging smile. Then the girl said, "Is your name Emma?"

"Yes, it is."

The girl got very excited. "Oh, that's, that's just like the baby princess." Emma's eyes widened. The little girl continued, "You know the little princess that went through the magic cabinet so the bad magic wouldn't hurt her. The one who came back when she was all growed up and saved them." Emma tried to look natural, but she wasn't sure she succeeded. With a stern look toward Leroy, Emma squatted down to the girl's level, like she had done so often with Henry.

"I'm not a baby, and I'm not a princess. There are no princesses in Storybrooke. We are in Maine."

The little girl looked so disappointed, and Emma hated that she had lied to her. (By a quick count there were at least six princesses currently making their homes in Storybrooke.) So Emma did something that she had never done before. The little one had a scar on one cheek. It didn't seem like much now, but Emma knew that when she was a teenager and suddenly very aware of what the boys would think, that that scar would make her very self-conscious. Emma put a slow acting correction spell on the girl. By this time next year the scar would be gone, forever. Then so that the girl would not be sad, Emma walked her over to the souvenir counter and gave her one of the plastic 'deputy sheriff' badges. She signed her name on a blank area. "You can tell your friends that you are an official deputy to Sheriff Emma Swan."* The girl excitedly ran back to her parents. Leroy winked at her as the group went to find their bus. Emma could almost hear Leroy say, "What are you looking at, sister?" Emma chuckled.

Her cell buzzed. It was Katheryn. "August is finished talking to them."

"I'll be right back."

August said, "They have been here for about six months. They came through in Phoenix. I think they came from about eighty years ago. But definitely not from Fairy Tale Land. I recognized none of the kings or witches or wizards Brian could name. Their families were being persecuted by an especially bad witch, when a rival offered to find 'the children' a safe place. Their parents agreed reluctantly, hoping that their children could find some place better than their world. The so-called good witch charged a high price for this 'favor.'"

"How have they been getting on?"

"Brian was given some knowledge of what to expect. He was able to convince the authorities to keep the four of them together in a group home. After four months of hoarding supplies, he led the little ones away at night. They boarded a bus and set out for Boston."

Katheryn said, "How did a ticket agent or driver allow four minors to board a cross country bus? And why choose Boston?" These were two of the questions Emma, herself, had.

"Brian is a little bit of a wizard it appears. The witch had told him how to influence the authorities to get the four of them here."

"Here?" asked Katheryn. "You mean Boston, don't you?"

"I mean Storybrooke! He was told to come to Storybrooke, Maine, and that a 'good witch who lives there' would find a safe life for him and the children," said August looking straight at Emma.

Emma's reply surprised all of them. "It was a true bargain that their parents struck. Their children are, indeed, going to have a safe life."

"But Brian did all the work. That doesn't seem like a good deal to me," said August.

"Gold would consider the deal satisfied," Emma replied. Katheryn nodded her agreement. But, then Katheryn posed the question Emma had composed in the very beginning.

"How could anyone in this other realm know all this about us here in Storybrooke?"

"That is the '64 thousand dollar question'," quoted Emma despite the fact that of the others only August got the reference. "Along with her motivation." By 'her' Emma meant the good(?) witch from Brian's realm.

Emma moved to enter the room with the children. "I think I need to see them." The others followed. When Emma came into the room, Brian and the children looked at her a little warily. Except for the small boy, _Billy_. He approached her; she stooped to his level.

"Are you the baby princess who saved everyone from the bad magic?" he said in his small boy's voice.

"Yes, I was," Emma told him truthfully.

As Emma stood up, Billy rushed to embrace her. She returned it and was suddenly struck by the memory of the first time Henry had hugged her, in Archie's office when she had told him that the Curse might be true.

Brian spoke up, "So you are the good witch we are supposed to find."

"I am the person you were supposed to find, but please don't call me a witch."

"Are we going to be safe?"

"Oh, yes! But I'm afraid we don't know when we can get you back with your parents."

Brian said forcefully, "We don't want to go back. It's not a good place."

Emma replied gently, "I meant we don't know enough about where you are from to determine how to make it safe for you and your parents to be together again." Emma paused to let this sink in. She continued, "But for now we are going to find you some good people for you to live with."

"You mean we can stay here?"

"As long as you need to. The people here in Storybrooke who came from Fairy Tale Land know what your life was like where you come from. That will make it easier for you than being out there." Brian understood 'out there' to mean the wider mundane world.

As it turned out Brian and his sister, Martha, went to live with Ruby at Granny's. Brian found that he enjoyed working as a short order cook, and Ruby found that the children were a pleasant addition to her life. Brian wasn't as happy about school. He was several years behind and the schools had to create a special accelerated program so that he could catch up. Fortunately he proved to be both bright and hard working.

The younger ones just joined the appropriate grades, first for the girls, and kindergarten for Billy. Emma, herself, seriously considered taking in Margaret and Billy. Bae was all for it, too, but Snow White pointed out that Emma had so many responsibilities, that one or more of the children would likely be short-changed. The alternative turned out to be very good. Belle and Gold took them in. Maurice was already in the third grade, and he rapidly began to behave as a 'big brother' to both. Emma and Bae were delighted because they soon found themselves as favorite 'Aunt' and 'Uncle'. Gold relished the role of avuncular paterfamilias.

As to Brian's power, Emma placed a suppression spell on him. It was a much milder version of the spells she had used finally to defeat Regina and Gold. No one thought that Brian should have to confront his destiny at such an early age. But despite the support of everyone, Emma worried about what she had done. She wasn't sure it was 'good' magic. Gold had reassured her. "His power is unformed, and he would have a lot of trouble controlling it. You are suppressing it for his own good." "But if feels dark." "It is, but much less dark than if you have to react strongly to a misuse of his power. You have little to fear, Emma, because you are doing this with a clear mind and for a worthwhile purpose." Emma chose to accept Gold's reasoning.

For the Phoenix 'problem' they decided they needed more information. A member of Katheryn's firm who was in his late twenties, had long wanted to broaden his legal experience, suggested that he go 'on loan' to a Phoenix law firm that specialized in adoption, custody and similar children's services matters. Since Nolan and Associates, itself, was rapidly establishing a reputation for this same kind of law, an agreement was worked out to 'loan' the associate for an indeterminate amount of time. Thus Storybrooke soon had a 'presence' in Phoenix to look out for 'unexpected arrivals' as Katheryn put it. Emma and Bae decided that they would take a trip with the 'kids' to Phoenix in the coming summer to aid in the reconnaissance. Everyone felt that Phoenix must have some special connection to the Story Book lands. After all Baelfire, himself, had been transported there, and Emma had first met Bae there as well. To Henry's request to 'see for myself the cell I was born in' Emma simply replied, "We'll see."

*This 'deputy badge' was eventually donated to the Fairy Tale Land Museum as the only one of its kind in existence, and one of the few artifacts with Emma Swan's signature. The donation resulted in a quarter of a million dollar tax deduction.


End file.
